dove's longfin herring
Opisthopterus dovii
Small sardine of coastal waters in the eastern Pacific, from the Gulf of California to Peru, which may enter brackish water. It has little commercial value.
Also called: sardinha-chata, sardina chata, chaparra, Dove's longfin herring
- maximum
- 23 cm
- depth
- 0–50 m
who is the dove's longfin herring
A fish of the family Pristigasteridae, a relative of sardines and herrings, reaching 23 cm. Common size 18 cm. It lives in coastal waters of the eastern Pacific, 0 to 50 m, from the Gulf of California, Mexico, to the Gulf of Guayaquil, between Ecuador and Peru. It may enter brackish water. Adults mainly eat small fish. It has little commercial value and is only taken in small-scale commercial fishing.
Essential profile. Identification, where it occurs and rules, with data from FishBase and the cited regulations. Season, time of day, technique and bait are added once we have a good source for the dove's longfin herring; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- It feeds mainly on small fish.
identification
Elongated, compressed body, like a sardine, with a keel of scutes on the belly, a trait of the family. The lower jaw projects and the mouth points upward. The pectoral fin is a little longer than the head, and the dorsal fin sits behind the middle of the body. The anal fin is long and starts much closer to the snout than to the tail. On the same coast, the machete sardine (Ilisha fuerthii) has its dorsal fin a little before the middle of the body.
Loading the next 7 days…
Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
Essential profile: the index uses a general fish model (weather, sun, moon and tide), without a season or time of day specific to this species.
where found
Tropical eastern Pacific, from the Gulf of California, Mexico, to the Gulf of Guayaquil, between Ecuador and Peru, in coastal waters of Central and South America.
Habitat: Coastal waters, 0 to 50 m, possibly entering brackish water.
rules for the dove's longfin herring
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.
Harmless to people. Being small and of little interest to sport fishing, release it quickly if it comes up on the line or in the net.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00603, b = 3.0; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa da própria espécie)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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sources and references
Essential profile: size, length-weight, depth, countries and conservation come from FishBase and the cited regulations, and the texts were written from those sources. Season, time of day, sensitivities, technique and baits and lures are not included yet, because we did not find a good source for this species.
- scientific FishBase: Opisthopterus dovii (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Opisthopterus doviiNames by country and language.
